Apparatus for drawing gas from mines



1.. A UERBACH ET AL APPARATUS FOR DRAWING GAS FROM MINES FiLed Dec. 27, 1924 INVENTORS BY I ATTORNEY I iii Patented Dec. 28, 1926.

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APPJLRATUS DRAWING GAS FROM MINES.

Application filed December 27, 1924.

This invention relates to an apparatus for drawing gas from mines for ventilating pur poses, the invention having for an object the provision of a novel and improved apparatus of this sort by means of which the gas withdrawn, and is burned at a S11ltable point, a further specific object of the invention relating to the provision of means for causing an intermittent spark to be produced adjacent the gas burner.

For further comprehension of the inven- 'tion, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, and to the appended claims in which the various noveli'eatures of the invention are more particularly set forth.

The figure of the drawing is an elevational view, with parts in vertical section, of my improved apparatus.

Referring now to the drawing, the reference numeral 10 indicates, an. ordinary suction blower device having the usual'rotor 12 therein which may be. driven from an electric motor 13. The, intake pipe of this suction device is shown at 14 and"this pipe extends to the suction device, from any point in the mines that the gas is found. The

discharge pipe of the blower is here shown at 16 and it has passing therethrough a smaller pipe 17 which is spaced inwardly therefrom. This pipe 16, has connected to its outer end a smaller pipe 18 that communicates with the space between the pipes 16 and 17, while the inner pipe 1'? is continued beyond the outer pipe 16 to a point outside the mine where it is providedwith a burner 20. The pipe 18 connects to a casing 22- in which the gas or air passing through the pipe 18 is collected to be intermittently discharged from the said casing. As here shown the casing is provided with an inlet one way valve consisting of a fixed projecting member 48 from the casing, said member supporting a guiding rod 49 of a spring 50, engaging against the valve head 51, forcing the same against its seat, and an outlet neck 23 in which a valve 24 is slidably mounted, this valve entering at its miter end into an enlarged chamber 25 with which the said neck communicates. The valve 24 is "formed with a stem 26 that extends diametrically across the casing 22 and is guided by a member 27 in said casing. This stem 26 has a pin 28 fixed thereto that engages in a slot 29 in one arm of a bell this pipe the gas flows.

Serial No. 758,389.

crank lever 30 tulcrumed as at 31 in the casing, a tension spring 32 being connected to the other arm of the bell crank lever 30. this spring 32 is so arranged that when the valve 24 moves outward under the pressure of the gas, the spring tends to aline itself in parallelism with the arm ofthe bell crank lever to which it is connected, so that the resistance of the spring to the movement of the valve is actually weakened to some eX- tent; When a suficien't pressure has accumulated in the casing 22the valve 24 is moved outward and the gas escapes'itrom the easing into the chamber 25.

From the chamber 25 a pipe 35 leads to a point adjacent the burner 20 and through This pipe com-municates with one end eta cylinder 36 in which a piston 37 is located, this piston having a projecting rod or stem 38 formed on one side with rack teeth 39thatmesh with the spur gear40 mounted-on a suitable fixed part such as 41. Mounted on this part 41 is a block 42 of pyritic mate rial, with which the spur gear '4O- engages, this block of materialbeihg located' near the tip of the burner 20. When the piston 37' and rod' 38 move upward under the force of the gas fiowing th'rou gh the pipe 3 5 the gear 40 is rotated, and by reason o l its contact with the block 42, sparks are caused to be projected toward the burner20. Gonnectedto the cylinder-36 about midway between the endsthereof, is-a short pipe 44 that connects also with the pipe 1-7, and through which the gas flows into the said pipe 17 when the piston 37' has moved along the cylinder at smiicient distance. The pig'- ton 37 is returned: to normal positionby means of) an expansioir spring 46. coiled around the rod 38 and bearing on the. piston.

It is believed that the manner of iise'of my improved apparatuswili be readily understood from the above description. The gas or air drawn through the pipe 14 is divided when it leaves the blower 10, one portion passing directly to the burner through the pipe 17, while the other portion enters the casin 22 through the pipe '18.

Normally valve 24 is closed, and since the inlet valve is a one way valve it allows an accumulation of gas in the said casing, and a resultant building up in pressure. When the pressure has become great enough to overcome the action of spring 32, the valve 24-. will open slightly, and in so doing the Cir spring 32 tends to align itself in parallelism with the arm of the bell crank lever 30 to which it is connected, so that the resistance of the spring to the movement of the valve 24 is actually weakened, thereby allowing the pressure to further open the valve, and so still further weakening the action of the spring, etc., allowing a substantially empt ing of the casing. A stage in the operation is soon reached where the pressure within the casing has fallen so low that the action of the spring slightly closes valve 24, and then a reversal of the above described occurrence proceeds, viz, the position of the spring to the bell crank lever changes to actually strengthen the spring action to close the valve, and the valve is soon closed. In this manner at periodical times the accunnr lation oi gas in the said casing causes the valve 24 to open and the gas to flow from the chamber 25 along the pipe 35, lifting the piston 37 and causing the rack teeth 39 to turn the spur gear 40, and its teeth .strike against the pyritic material 42 to cause sparking. Between each periodic flow of gas from the casing, the spring 46 will return the piston 37 to normal position. As will be apparent, when the air is being drawn through the pipe 14:. there will be no flame at the burner, but when gas is being drawn through the apparatus, the same will be ignited by the sparking device, whereby the mine may be kept ventilated, and the gases led to the atmosphere, and burnt, if possible.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

1. A gas withdrawing apparatus for mines comprising a blower, an intake pipe leading from the mine to said blower, individual outlet pipes leading from said blower, a burner on one of said pipes, and a sparking device arranged adjacent said burner and adapted to be operated by gas flowing through the other pipe.

2. A gas withdrawing and burning apparatus for mines comprising a blower, an intake pipe leading into said blower from the mine, individual outlet pipes from said blower, a burner on one of said pipes, a easing into which the other pipe leads, an intermittently operating outlet valve on said casing, a pipe controlled by the said valve, and a sparking device located adjacent the said burner and adapted to be operated by gas flowing through the last named pipe.

3. A withdrawing and burning apparatus tor mines comprising a blower, an intake pipe leading into said blower from the mine, individual outlet pipes from said blower, a burner on one oi said pipes, a easing into which the other pipe leads, an intermittently operating out-let valve on said casing, a pipe controlled by the said valve, and a sparking device located adjacent the said burner and adapted to be operated by gas flowing through the last named pipe, said device including a cylinder with which the last named pipe connects, a piston in said cylinder, a piston rod, rack teeth on said piston rod, a pyritic element and a toothed element engaged with said pyrit-ic element and adapted for operation by said rod.

4:. A as withdrawing and burning apparatus Ior mines comprising a blower, an intake pipe leading into said blower from the mine, individual outlet pipes from said blower, a burner 011 one or said pipes, a easing into which the other pipe leads, an intermittently operating outlet valve on said casing, a pipe controlled by the said valve, and a sparking device located adjacent the said burner and adapted to be operated by gas flowing through the last named pipe, said device including a cylinder with which the last named pipe connects, a piston in said cylinder, a piston rod, rack teeth on said piston rod, a pyritic element, and a toothed element engaged with said pyritic element and adapted for operation by said rod, and a communicating pipe leading from said cylinder to the first named pipe at a point between the ends of the said cylinder.

In testimony whereof we have aflixed our signatures.

LAWVRENGE AUERBAOH. LOUIS KOVER. 

